Game apparatus



' Dec.29,19 36.' v R. 'BATES' 2,066,244

GAME APPARATUS Fild April 9, 1935 Elma/WWO Patented Dec. 29, 1936 GAME APPARATUS Robert Bates, Athens, Tenn.

Application April 9,

3 Claims.

The invention relates to game apparatus and has for one of its objects the provision of a game board having duplicate playing areas arranged side by side and spaced from one an- 5 other, and a bridging playing area connecting the duplicate playing areas over which the game pieces may be moved subject to certain restrictions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a game board of the type used for playing the game of checkers or draughts, having playing areas similar to checker boards arranged side by side and spaced from one another, and a checkered bridging area connecting the spaced areas and so arranged that the game pieces may be from over said bridging area from one checker board to the other subject to certain restrictions.

A further object of the invention is the provision of checker men for playing the game of checkers provided with numerals arranged serially from 1 to 12 for each set of men to enable playing certain games whereby the numbers are used in the game, and also to assist novices in learning the game of checkers.

A further object of the invention is the provision of game apparatus in the nature of a checker board arranged so that from two to four persons may play.

The invention will be described in detail hereinafter and will be found illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan View of a game board constructed in accordance with the invention, and

Figure 2 is a view of game pieces showing them numbered from 1 to 12 serially.

In the drawing, the game board that may obviously be made of any material suitable for the purpose consists of a flat surface or table It], preferably of an oblong shape, as shown, and having duplicate playing areas at opposite ends thereof, designated H, each of said areas being divided into a plurality of squares of contrasting colors, arranged alternately, each of-said areas constituting a conventional checker board. These areas are spaced from one another as shown, and arranged between the spaced boards I I is a reduced area 12 that is also subdivided into squares of colors corresponding to the colors on the boards H and alternately arranged relatively to one another and to the adjacent boards, said reduced area l2 constituting a bridging area that is adapted to be crossed from either of the end boards H by checker men on the boards under certain conditions.

1935, Serial No. 15,493

Arranged between certain of the object squares It on the boards H and adjacent object squares M on the bridging area i2 are pointed darts or spears l5, these darts or spears providing an obstacle over which no game piece may pass in either direction.

In playing the game it will be understood that four persons may play, two seated on each of the long sides of the playing board, and the players on each side of the board will be partners and playing in opposition to the players on the opposite side of the board. The partners will play alternately with the opposing partners, and it is suggested that suitable rules be made whereby either of the partners may cross from his board to the other board to assist in the play on his partners board, or to surrender one of his game pieces to the other partner for use in connection with his play.

It is also intended that when a player reaches the row nearest his opponent known as the king row that his game piece will be crowned and a crowned game piece is privileged to move in any direction, one move at a time as in the game of checkers or draughts, the single men being permitted to move only in the direction towards the opponents side of the board.

The game apparatus also contemplates adding to the interest of the game of checkers by numbering the checker men or game pieces from 1 to 12 consecutively, and it is intended that the men shall be arranged on the squares as in the game of checkers, the lower numbers in each set of checkers being presented toward the corresponding numbers of the opponent, the higher'numb-ers being set in the king row. By this improvement even in playing the ordinary game of checkers a novice will quickly learn wherein improper moves of his men will result in the loss of the game piece, thus making it possible for him to learn the game of checkers or draughts more readily, and also by so numbering the checkers a game may be played whereby each player will endeavor to secure a certain number, say seventy, resulting from adding the designating ordinals on the game pieces, and when the agreed number has been reached that player securing that number wins the game, or if neither player is able to secure the number the game is considered as a draw.

In playing this game in which the result is secured by adding the ordinals on the game pieces, where an opposing player is entitled to a crown for his king, the player may and should use the lowest numbered game piece that he has taken from that player, as he loses that count towards the game by having to crown the opponents king.

It will be apparent that other games may be played and that the rules may be fixed as they may be agreeable to the players of each game.

What is claimed is:-

1. A game board comprising two playing areas each consisting of a conventional checker board of a plurality of alternately colored squares, said areas being arranged side by side and spaced from one another, and a reduced playing area bridging the space between said checker boards and having alternately colored squares alternating with the adjacent squares on the checker board, whereby a conventional game of checkers may be played on either area, or, if desired the game may be played from one board across the 

